You have brought the gift of Life and Love so long denied me
by MusicFreak24601
Summary: Enjolras thought he would never love a person ever again. Not after Eponine, who had left so abruptly without any explanation. That is, until a small girl with gold hair and big brown eyes comes knocking on his door in the middle of the night, claiming to be his daughter. Will he be able to care for her and deal with the painful memories coming back? Will he finally love again?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables**

**Hello! This is my first Les Miserables fic, though I have been in the fandom for a while, even before the movie came out. I absolutely love Enjonine, though I also ship Enjolras and Grantaire and Eponine and Courfeyrac ect. I ship everything under the sun, but this particular piece is Enjonine. I always loved the idea of Enjolras with a daughter, so I decided to finally write something on it! Just to make it clear I do not have a beta, though I'd like to, so I'm so sorry for any errors in this. I hope you enjoy! ^.^**

Gabriel Enjolras, mostly known as Enjolras, had the life of a typical twenty-six year old man. He had recently graduated college and lived in an apartment along with his closest friends. They were known as the Amis, a group of men who worked together for one goal: a better France. The men were actually quite wealthy, all of them coming from rich families who barely speak to them anymore. However, unlike most wealthy men in the twenty-first century, they worked to help the people below them. The kind of people who had to work three jobs a day just to afford food and a roof above their heads. Enjolras happened to be the most passionate about their organization. However, not many people knew the reason why. If they were told the real reason, they wouldn't believe it at first. No one would ever believe that a man made of marble could've been in love.

* * *

When Enjolras was in high school, he had a best friend named Eponine Thenardier. She was the one person he could tell anything. She was the one who cracked the marble. In fact, when they finally admitted they were dating, the only reactions they got were confused ones. Everyone had already thought they were dating long before senior year.

You see, Eponine came from a very poor family. Her parents were con artists who treated their own kids like scum. She had two younger siblings, Azelma and Gavroche. Azelma was seventeen, one year younger than Eponine, and Gavroche was only seven*. Eponine worked two jobs in order to put food on the table for her siblings. Enjolras and the rest of the Amis would often offer to help her, but she would refuse every time.

She was the reason Enjolras fought so hard for his cause.

They were in love, though they never admitted it except to each other, never their friends. No, both of their pride was too strong for that. But even then, their friends knew how much they loved each other. They could see it in their eyes. The two headstrong teenagers were the only ones to see each other's vulnerable sides. They told each other their deepest, darkest secrets.

No one was surprised when Enjolras proposed during their graduation.

Nor were they surprised when Eponine said yes and jumped into his arms.

However, a month after the proposal, Eponine had begun getting more and more distant. She hardly spoke and would constantly look nervous. Naturally, Enjolras was worried. When he asked her questions, she would simply shake her head or brush him off, refusing to answer anything.

She was gone in a month, no explanation left besides a note saying how much she loved everyone, Enjolras especially.

Enjolras and the Amis were devastated and spent almost a year searching for her. They couldn't even ask her family. Her parents didn't care, Gavroche was in hysterics, and Azelma was gone as well. It seemed like the two sisters had completely dropped off the face of the earth. By the end of their first year in college, they had all given up.

Everything, and everyone, changed after that. Especially Enjolras.

He seemed to have given up on love in general. He never batted an eye around the prettiest girl. He focused all his time on his organization. The marble was built up again, harder than ever. Maybe he never realized it, but in his heart, one thing was clear. He would never love anyone but Eponine.

* * *

It was almost midnight and Enjolras was still wide-awake, crouched over his desk in concentration. He was making plans for their next rally in hopes to get more people involved. Suddenly, a soft knocking at his apartment door interrupted his silence. He swore quietly, huffing as he stood and trudged to the door, wondering who in the name of France would be up at this hour, besides himself of course. He threw his door open quickly but, to his confusion, he saw no one in front of him. He swore again and was about to slam the door shut when he heard a small cough. He looked down and almost jumped in shock. There, standing in the middle of the hallway was a small child with curly gold hair and big brown eyes that looked so familiar it was almost painful. She was carrying a small, red suitcase.

"Hello, you're Gabriel Enjolras, right?" She asked with a soft but high voice.

Enjolras nodded wordlessly, still wondering why there was a small girl at his door.

She stepped forward, still not looking at him, "I-t's nice to finally meet you…" She finally picked up her head and looked at him shyly, "My name's Vivienne, I'm your daughter."

***I know Gavroche is supposed to be older but I want him to be a little younger**

**I know it's not that long, sorry! I loved writing it though, and I hope to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! Please review so I know whether or not it's okay! I hope you liked it!**

**XXXX Sam**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables =(**

**First two chapters in one night! I just can't stop writing this, I love it! Again I don't have a beta so there may be many spelling and grammar errors. And thank you so much to AleuStark for my first review! I didn't expect one on the first chapter! I hope you like this one as much as I loved writing it! =3**

Enjolras stared at the girl in complete shock. His eyes were wide and his mouth was gaping open. For the first time in a long time, he was completely speechless. Vivienne looked up at him nervously, not knowing what to say to her newly found father. She was only seven and was rather small for her age. Hesitantly, she cleared her throat and reached up to wave her hand in front of his face, though she barely reached his chin. Enjolras shook out of his daze and paced back inside, gesturing for the child to follow him. She followed shyly and dragged her small suitcase in, standing by the door and watching the man pace around the room. He dragged a hand through his hair, muttering incoherent words. Finally, he turned and faced Vivienne, who was staring at him cautiously.

"No. No, I _can't _have a daughter. I- I never even…" Suddenly, realization dawned on him and he was once again staring at her in awe.

_Eponine._

He assessed the girl quickly, finally stopping at her eyes. They were the same chocolate brown eyes that were always wide and curious. The same eyes he fell in love with.

He crouched right in front of her, looking at her straight in the eye. She tilted her head slightly, wondering what he was going to say to her.

"Vivienne, is it?" He asked, his voice strained slightly. She nodded hastily, her curly gold hair, so similar to his own, bouncing around her.

"Who's your mother? What's her name?" He asked these questions quickly, almost eagerly. He needed to know.

"Eponine," she answered right away, "Eponine Thenardier. My auntie's name's Azelma." She added, hoping it would help.

Enjolras let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "W-Where is she? I haven't seen nor heard from her in almost eight years. How old are you anyways?" He was rambling and resumed pacing He needed help on this. He didn't know how to take care of children. The closest thing he got in doing so was when he helped take care of Gavroche, and even then it was mostly Courfeyrac and Grantaire. Now there was a child in his apartment. Where was Eponine? Why wasn't she there with her own daughter? He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Vivienne digging in her luggage, which was actually quite empty.

She ran over to him and shoved a crumpled letter in his hands, "I-It's from my mama… s-she said to give it to you once I found you. A-And I just turned s-seven," she stuttered, yawning widely and covering her mouth with her hand. It was well past midnight now.

Enjolras nodded thankfully at her and unfolded the letter, his hands shaking slightly. Vivienne had settled down on his couch, thoroughly exhausted and watching for his reaction as he began reading:

_Dear Enjolras,_

_I've written this letter just about a thousand times in the past –what is it? Almost eight years?- I know you must be angry at me. Furious even. I don't blame you. I'm so sorry for leaving. I swear I regret it everyday. I was just so scared, and I hated to admit it. You know me, my pride always gets me in trouble. It's just that, well, obviously, I got pregnant. Vivienne. She honestly is yours. The night of graduation, right after you proposed. Well, you know what happened, or at least I hope you do. _

_Anyways, after I left with Azelma (yes, she knew, and insisted on coming with me) we went to our old inn at Montreuil sur Mer. We're safe if you want to know, or care… But lately, we've been low on money. Very low. I can barely afford buying clothes for Vivienne. Or food. If you see her, she's so small for her age. She doesn't deserve to live like this. She's… so much like you. She's headstrong and passionate. She's sweet and caring. I didn't want her to live a life like I did, minus the abusive parents. I promise I'll take her back, as soon as I can I promise. Azelma and I are looking for jobs, honest ones too. _

_Please though, for now, just keep her safe. Tell her I love her. So much. And I'm sorry she has to go through this. And tell everyone else, all the Amis, Gavroche, I'm so incredibly sorry. Especially Gav, tell him I love him too. He must be fourteen, almost fifteen now? I've missed so much of his life. I messed up so badly Enjolras. Right when I finally got a good family. Right when I finally feel safe, I mess everything up. Mon Dieu I'm so sorry. You must hate me. And I don't blame you if you do. But, please, don't hate your –our- daughter. She's always wanted to meet her father. I've told her so many stories about you… expect many questions, once she gets used to you. Introduce her to everyone, she loves making friends and meeting new people. You'll love her, Enj, I swear you will. _

_Thank you, Enjy, I miss you so much. _

_Love you forever, _

_Eponine_

Enjolras scanned the letter more than a dozen times, taking in every little detail. It really was Eponine. She still dotted her I's the same and her signature was still hers. He swallowed, noticing how she called him Enjy. She was the only one he let call him that. He didn't know what to think. He wanted to be angry, just like she thought she would be. But he couldn't find himself to do so. As he reread her description of Vivienne, his eyes flitted over to her, finally noticing her silence.

The scene before him pulled at his heartstrings. The child was curled up on his couch, her hands clasped together and her head resting on them. Her knees were curled into her body. She looked much smaller, like she was only around three instead of seven. Her wild, curly hair was half draped across her face. Enjolras quietly stepped towards her, kneeling at her side. His usual emotionless expression had crumbled into a sympathetic one. He carefully brushed her hair back and sucked in a breath as he saw her face even closer. She looked exactly like Eponine. From her facial expression to the way she was curled up. Aside from the hair, they could've been identical. He shook his head, pressed a gently kiss on her forehead, and whispered, "I'll take care of you, I promise."

He was going to take care of her. She was his daughter. Eponine's daughter. He had finally found a purpose in his life besides his cause to help the people in France. He found someone who truly needed him.

He found a large blanket and placed it around her, tucking her in tightly. He sat next to her, stroking her hair unconsciously. He closed his eyes, though he knew he wouldn't fall asleep. There was too much on his mind. But there were two particular questions in his head. One was, how on Earth would everyone react to this? And the other was, how could so much happen in less than two hours?

**Yeah, so the endings really quick and hasty, but my laptop's dying and it's pretty late. I liked writing the letter though. Next chapter's gonna be the rest of the Amis plus Gavroche's reactions to Vivienne. It'll hopefully be up soon! Review please! I hope you enjoyed it! **

**XXXX Sammi ^.^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Les Miserables all belongs to Victor Hugo. **

**Hello! I'm back with another chapter! I hope it's okay! And by the way, I don't have any accents or anything on my computer so I can't put one over the E in Eponine or in Les Miserables or in any other French word… **

The next morning, Enjolras woke up to the sun shining through the blinds. He blinked a few times, wondering why he was on his couch instead of his bed. Soon, he felt movement next to him and realization hit him so fast he almost gasped. He had a daughter. Eponine was still out there. And she loved him. He sighed frustratingly, this was going to complicated to explain to his friends. He stood up, careful not to wake up Vivienne. He took out his phone and began contacting the Amis, knowing they were only a few floors away. He told them it was urgent and they need to get there right away. After only a few minutes, he heard footsteps thudding on the stairs of the apartment and he almost smirked. There were some perks to living in the same apartment as his friends.

Suddenly, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Jehan, all in their pajamas, came bursting into his apartment, talking loudly and urgently -they obviously weren't used to Enjolras asking them for help.

The blond man quickly shushed them, gesturing for them to follow him to his living room area. They followed, all looking confused and tired. It was just past sunrise and they were the only ones who had woken up.

Enjolras had halted at his couch, staring at a small bundle of blankets. The men looked confused at first, but then realized what their leader was looking at. Underneath a large blanket was a small girl, seemingly fast asleep. She had a mane of curly blond hair that was spread all around her and a small button nose. Her mouth was open slightly, letting out small puffs of air every other second. She seemed so familiar but they couldn't put their finger on how.

"Enj," Courfeyrac started slowly, "You have a small child on your couch." He said it so bluntly that they almost laughed.

"Yes, I realize that…" Enjolras stated, shaking his head at his friend's antics.

"Well… why, exactly, is she here? Who is she?" Combeferre asked, his eyes never leaving Vivienne.

Without a word, Enjolras handed the three confused men Eponine's letter and sat down on his previous position next to his daughter.

Jehan was the first to grab the letter and the rest of them surrounded him, scanning through the letter. Combeferre was the first to finish and kneeled in front of the couch, his eyes wide and he stared back and forth between Enjolras and his apparent daughter.

"Are you sure?" He whispered cautiously, not knowing how his friend was currently reacting to the situation.

Enjolras nodded, running his hand through his hair and standing up and pacing, "Yes, she's my daughter. And Eponine's her mother. Eponine. We haven't seen nor heard from her in almost eight years and suddenly her –our- daughter appears. Without her." He was mostly talking to himself at this point, not noticing how Courfeyrac and Jehan had finished reading and were staring at him, wondering what to say to calm down their friend.

"Well," Jehan said, "You _are_ going to take care of her, right?" He sat in front of the girl and began stroking her hair fondly. He always loved children.

Enjolras sighed and sat with them, looking down at her, "Yes. Of course I'm going to take care of her."

As if on cue, Vivienne's eyes began fluttering. She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes, blinking at the sudden light. The men's hearts nearly melted at the innocent sight.

She stared up at Enjolras, smiling slightly with tired eyes. "Good morning, papa!"

Enjolras tensed at the name but smiled, albeit a bit forcefully, "Good morning, petit."

She sat up, stretching her arms and jumped visibly, just noticing the three new men sitting around her.

"Hello," she said, her brow furrowed in confusion, "Erm… not to be rude, but who are you all?"

The man wearing glasses who was kneeling in front of her sat up on the couch next to her and smiled warmly, "I'm Combeferre, and that's Courfeyrac and Jehan," he explained, pointing to them all respectively, "We're your papa's friends."

At their names Vivienne's eyes lit up happily, "I know you! My mama told me stories about you all!"

The four men stiffened at the mention of Eponine.

"Did she now?" Courfeyrac said, his voice strained, "What she tell you?"

She was practically bouncing with excitement, happy to meet the men her mother always told her about, "She said you were her best friends when she was at school! And she said she misses you, a lot." She added, smiling, staring off in her own world.

The child didn't notice how they exchanged sad glances. Or how Enjolras simply stared, or glared, at the floor, not making eye contact with anyone.

"We miss her too," Jehan whispered while standing up and kissing her on the head.

"Anyone want anything to eat? It's around breakfast time," Courfeyrac stated, wanting to diffuse the tension.

"Enj? You okay?" Combeferre asked to the blond man, who was still staring at the floor without speaking.

"Papa? Papa?" Vivienne said, trying to shake him out of his daze. She had crawled onto his lap and poking his cheek curiously. The men chuckled and Courfeyrac reached over and ruffled her curls.

Enjolras stared at the child for a few moments, simply examining every inch of her face. She reminded him so much of Eponine it felt painful. From the way she wrinkled her nose to the way the tips of her lips turned up when she was amused. And then those eyes. Those identical chocolate brown eyes that sparkled when she was happy or curious. It was all her. Part of Enjolras hated it. He hated being reminded of his love, who had gotten up and left him without any explanation. Until now, almost eight years later, in the form of their daughter. He would be lying if he said that there wasn't a small, bitter part of him that wanted to run away from everything and everyone and forget them all. But he wouldn't do that. He would never. No, he was much stronger than that. This child was breaking the marble that he had been trying so hard to build up again after all that had happened with Eponine. But he actually didn't mind. He was going to do this right, and give Vivienne the love she truly deserves.

Hesitantly, Enjolras raised his arms and pulled the small child closer to him, hugging her tightly to himself, "I'm here, mon petit."

"I _can _call you Papa, right?" She asked softly and unsurely, looking up at him in wonder.

Enjolras smiled slightly and pulled her away, holding her shoulders, "Of course, Vivienne. You have a father now, mon enfant, and I'll always be here, okay?"

She smiled widely and threw her arms around his neck, muttering thank you into his shirt.

Combeferre, Courfeyrac, and Jehan watched from the kitchen door, exchanging content looks with each other. They knew perfectly well that their lives wouldn't be the same anymore, now that Vivienne was there with them. But they didn't mind. It's been a while since they had seen their leader truly smile.

**I really had a good time writing this chapter, but I'm sad to say I couldn't write Gavroche in it. I promise though, he'll be in the next chapter along with Grantair, Joly, and Musichetta, and possibly Marius and Cosette. I hope you all enjoyed this! ^.^**

**XXXX Sammi **


End file.
